I used to be on the police drug squad. Here’s why I’m voting against legalising cannabis

By September 8, 2020 Recent News

Stuff co.nz 7 September 2020
Our additional comment: Whoops!! – this messes up another argument for legalisation from Chloe, Helen and the Drug Foundation….
“The reality of policing the drug world is that police do not actively target end users of drugs, they target the manufacturers and dealers, those who are the main contributors to the harm. This applies especially in the gang-world driven methamphetamine scene, and for MDMA, where MDMA mimics and synthetics have caused deaths in New Zealand and overseas.. Anyone in prison for possession of cannabis or utensils, will be there for  other more serious charges as well, involving offences such as dealing, manufacture, possession of firearms etc. The commentary that people end up in prison for smoking cannabis is misleading, they do not. It is only the dealers.

OPINION: I am a former member of a police drug squad, in one of New Zealand’s major cities. I will be voting against legalising cannabis.

I agree that for the end users of drugs, where the use of that drug begins to affect a person’s health or mental wellbeing, medical or other intervention is very important, rather than putting that person before the courts.

But the reality of policing the drug world is that police do not actively target end users of drugs, they target the manufacturers and dealers, those who are the main contributors to the harm. This applies especially in the gang-world driven methamphetamine scene, and for MDMA, where MDMA mimics and synthetics have caused deaths in New Zealand and overseas.

Methamphetamine is well known to cause massive social harm, and with MDMA and mimics, the main problem and danger there is that the end user never knows what is actually in the drug. They have to trust the drug dealer, and who would trust one of them?

As far as cannabis is concerned, again, police do not target end users, and despite the social media commentary, I do not know of any end user of cannabis who has ever been imprisoned for simply smoking a joint. That simply does not happen.

Anyone in prison for possession of cannabis or utensils, will be there for  other more serious charges as well, involving offences such as dealing, manufacture, possession of firearms etc. The commentary that people end up in prison for smoking cannabis is misleading, they do not.

It is only the dealers.

The proposed legal purchase of 14 grams of cannabis per day per day is 10-plus joints. Who smokes that much? I’ve only ever encountered a very few, and they were basically permanently stoned.  It is way too much and a major step from decriminalising the possession of a simple joint.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/cannabis-referendum/122683839/i-used-to-be-on-the-police-drug-squad-heres-why-im-voting-against-legalising-cannabis

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